Tropes Challenge Entries
by HPfanonezillion
Summary: All three of these stories were my entries into the three rounds of The Everlark Games: Tropes Challenge.
1. Albatross

_Author's note: This was my entry into the first round of The Everlark Games Tropes challenge. The trope for this round was alternate universe. So I chose an AU in which Peeta is a home health nurse for Prim who was paralyzed in a car accident that also took the lives of the Everdeen parents. The title comes from the Bastille song Weight of Living Part 1._

 _Much thanks to my bestie writingbutunpublished for looking this over for me. Go check out her work._

 _And much thanks to anyone out there who read this the first time around and voted to keep me going._

 _Happy reading!_

Albatross

Katniss hurried through the door and dropped her bag. "I'm sorry I'm late. Class ran over and then I caught every red light."

Peeta waved from the stove. "I almost have supper done and then I'll be gone."

"Don't you have class?" She stepped into the kitchen and smiled at Prim sitting near the table with her headphones on. They exchanged a wave. Katniss was very glad that nearly two years later, she had enough strength and movement in her arms to complete the gesture.

"It was cancelled tonight." He slipped a piece of chicken on a plate and cut it up.

Katniss stepped beside him. "What would it take to hire you full time?"

"You're already paying out the nose for the agency." He argued, spooning mashed potatoes beside the chicken he'd just cut up.

"I know. I was hoping to pay the same for private care and you come in Monday through Friday. Rory's got weekends off now and he wants to spend more time helping again." She leaned close. "She tell you he's moving in?"

He chuckled and nodded. "She mentioned it a time or two."

Prim spoke from the table. "Did Peeta tell you about seeing Rory's bare ass this morning?"

Katniss laughed. "No. We didn't get that far." She looked back toward Peeta. "Were you impressed?"

Peeta shrugged. "You see one ass, you seen 'em all." He chuckled. "Rory was pretty embarrassed, though."

Katniss laughed again. "He's really shy. I accidentally walked into the bathroom after he got out of the shower and he nearly had a heartattack."

Peeta sat the plate in front of Prim and pushed her chair closer. "Can you reach it all?"

"Yep." Prim reached out and picked up her fork. "Water would be nice." She said with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah." Peeta said as he poured her a glass from the pitcher. "Anything else, your majesty?"

Katniss made a plate and handed it to Peeta. "If you don't have to go to class, you should stay and eat with us."

"I only made enough for two" He pushed the plate back toward her. "Thank you, though. I have to get home."

Katniss sat the plate down on the table and followed him toward the door. "You weren't offended by the offer, were you? Prim just really likes you." So do I.

"I'll think about it. I've got another client I see on the other two days a week and I need to make sure she's got someone in place." He slung his bag over his shoulder. "But it's a tentative yes."

She smiled. "Thank you!" She had to stop herself from reaching out to touch him.

He gave her an apologetic look. "It's only until I get my RN. After that, I plan on moving to a rehab facility." He placed his hand on the doorknob.

Her heart pounded. She'd done everything to hold him there and it was now time for him to go. "Yeah, but you still have another couple years to go."

He nodded and opened the door. "See you Monday." He stepped outside and then turned. It looked like he was struggling to make himself say something, but all that came out was, "Your food's getting cold." And then he hurried out to his car.

Katniss wandered back into the kitchen to find Prim once again had her headphones on, but she pulled them off when she saw her sister.

"So did he kiss you goodbye?" Prim teased, pausing her iPod.

Katniss felt her face heat up. "No kissing. But he is going to think about coming full time."

"So you can see him every Tuesday and Thursday morning?" Prim giggled as Katniss adamantly shook her head.

"You know that's not what I want. I can't help it that my classes Tuesday and Thursday don't start until nine-thirty." She took a bite of her mashed potatoes and made a face before popping the plate in the microwave. "But it won't hurt."

With another laugh, Prim put her headphones back on. "This latest book is so boring. Sometimes I don't know why I do this job."

"Because some of them are awesome. And then I get to listen to them. For free." Katniss pulled her plate out of the microwave and went back to eating. "He's such a good cook." She said with a moan.

Prim snorted. "You need to bone him already."

Katniss shook her head and continued eating in silence. It wasn't like she didn't fantasize about it at night. Peeta was attractive and smart and funny and strong.

Sometimes, when she was home while Peeta was there, she'd watch intently as he carried Prim from the bathroom back to her chair. Anywhere, really. He was very strong.

They'd spent a lot of time and energy getting the house altered enough for the chair and Prim's other needs, but the bathroom still needed some work. Thankfully, Peeta could carry her without having to awkwardly shove the chair through the door like Katniss and Rory tended to do when Peeta wasn't around.

* * *

Peeta walked into his side of the duplex and hung his bag on the hook by the door. He took out his computer and booted it up before he walked toward the kitchen at the back of the room to make his supper.

After throwing a frozen pizza into the oven, Peeta turned to his computer and pulled up the program the home health company used. He typed up a quick status report on Prim. And thought about Katniss the entire time.

She was attractive and completely devoted to her younger sister. It was always one of his weaknesses when it came to his crushes, adoration and attentiveness to others.

Finnick would tell him, "Just do it. Ask her out already."

Dating relatives of clients was a bit of a gray area. He knew some home health aides who cared for family members or family of friends. It wasn't something easily avoided in a small town.

Also, since they had talked about him working full time for private care, it would be a little weird. How would the conversations even start?

"Hey, thanks for paying me? How about I bring you to dinner now?"

No, thank you.

He ate his pizza while he worked on his homework for the next week.

Maybe one day Peeta would ask Katniss on a date, but it would have to wait until he moved on to another profession. Or at least another client. And he really liked Prim, she was fun to be around.

His phone rang just as he was settling in to watch TV for the night. He answered without looking at the screen. "I'm not going out tonight, Finnick." He said in greeting.

His friend groaned on the other end of the phone. "Come on, man! It's been a long week."

"Yeah, exactly why I don't want to go anywhere." Peeta argued.

Finnick sighed. "What if I bring a couple six packs to your place? Annie's doing a girls' night in and I don't think I can handle the romcom tonight."

Peeta thought a moment and then let out a long breath. "Okay. Fine. But you have to pick up some baking ingredients. If I have to take care of your drunk ass, I need hangover cheese buns ready for you in the morning."

"Text me a list, bro-tato chip." Finnick said before he hung up.

Peeta checked his kitchen and then typed out a quick list to Finnick. It wasn't long one since he usually had most of the staples on hand.

Then he picked up a little. Not that it mattered much. When Finnick had been his roommate before, their place usually got pretty trashed through the week. Peeta realized after Finnick moved out that he was part of the problem overall. Peeta pitied Annie.

Katniss and Prim's house was always spotless. Part of his job was to make sure the house was orderly, but that part was usually just helping Prim fold a load of clothes. She claimed it made her feel normal to do that bit of housework at least. Katniss must have been very meticulous about the cleaning otherwise.

Finnick's rhythmic knock startled Peeta out of his thoughts. He opened the door and waved the other man in.

"I got something to tell you." Finnick said as he followed Peeta into the kitchen.

"What is it?" Peeta unloaded the groceries and started pulling out a bowl to mix the dough for the cheese buns.

"I'm going to ask Annie to marry me." Finnick said proudly.

Peeta laughed and pulled his friend into a bear hug. "That's great!"

"Do you think she'll say yes?" Finnick's voice was nervous.

"I think she'll say that it's about time." Peeta laughed.

Finnick nodded and popped the cap off one of the bottles. "I know she will. She's been hinting at it for a while." He took a long drink and wiped at his lip. "She actually asked me last year, but it didn't feel like the time was right."

"Yeah." Peeta worked in silence while Finnick finished off his first beer and moved quickly to the second. "So Katniss asked me to work full time caring for her sister."

"Is that right?" Finnick chuckled. "You going to do it?"

"I don't know." Peeta draped a towel over the bowl and grabbed a bottle from the fridge. "It would mean going to the same place every day. And I really like it there. Prim is so bright and funny and we have a good time. It's not such a chore to go to work."

"But?" Finnick gave him a challenging look.

"But if I keep working for them, then…"

"You can't ask Katniss out." Finnick finished. He shrugged. "Well, you know me: jump into bed first, ask for a name later. I'm not the rules guy."

Peeta snorted and took a drink. Setting his bottle back on the table, he started picking at the label. "I have less than two years until I have RN. I can do something else then."

"You're nothing if not patient." Finnick leaned back in his chair. "How long did it take you to ask Delly out?"

Peeta shrugged. "She always had boyfriends."

"And she turned you down, if I remember." Finnick finished off his second beer and went for another.

Peeta shook his head. "Are going to drink everything in twenty minutes?"

"You have a bottle of vodka in your freezer." Finnick popped the top off the third bottle.

"Beer before liquor, never sicker." Peeta warned.

Finnick clapped him on the shoulder. "I have a medical professional here to hold my hair back." He studied Peeta. "So what are you going to do about her? Wait?"

"I don't know." Peeta stood and started pacing. "I'm about due for a girlfriend, right? Like, I'm not someone who's off limits for some reason? Because I'm a nurse?"

Finnick laughed. "Bro, you have nothing to worry about with the nurse part. Plenty of Annie's friends moon over you. And they think it's cool that you're a nurse."

"So why does no one show interest in me?" Peeta shook his head. "Nevermind."

Finnick stood and grabbed his arm. "Listen, Peet, why do you care about what other girls think? You need to think about this Katniss chick. If you like her, you should say something."

Peeta shook his head. "Not yet. She's basically my boss." He finished off his beer and then pulled the vodka out of the freezer. "Let's get smashed."

Finnick held up his hands. "You know that drunk baking isn't your thing. Maybe you should finish the cheese buns first."

Peeta pushed the liquor into Finnick's hand. "I know. You're only my friend for my food."

"Maybe." Finnick said, pouring some of the clear liquid into a glass.

* * *

Peeta wrapped a towel around Prim and carried her into her bedroom, sitting her in her chair. He remembered her being a little embarrassed at first, but resigned. Of course she'd had her sister and boyfriend doing most of this work in the time between returning home from her accident and Peeta starting as her aide. Both of them were familiar people in her life while Peeta was a virtual stranger.

Together, they decided what she would wear that day and Peeta moved forward to help her dress.

They'd mostly been silent so far other than the normal talk of their routine. Until Prim said, "So can I ask you a question?"

"Uh, sure." Her tone was a little over exaggerated, as though she was fishing for something.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" She tried again to sound casual, but it wasn't working to Peeta's ears. "Because you never talk about a girlfriend. You talk about Finnick a lot, but the way you check out my sister tells me you're straight. Or maybe bi. Is Finnick your boyfriend and you just like looking at Katniss?"

Peeta laughed and held out the openings for Prim to slip her arms through. "Finnick is my best friend. But his fiancee Annie likes to tease that we're boyfriends." He felt uncomfortable with the next part of her inquiry, but answered her anyway. "I'm straight and single. Anyway, what makes you think I check out your sister?" He slipped the shirt over her head and helped her start pulling it down.

She tugged at the hem of her shirt the rest of the way. "Because I have eyes." She turned the chair toward the living room. "So my latest book to review is a poetry book. It's super sappy, want to listen for a while?"

"Sure." He made his way toward the kitchen.. "I'll start on lunch." He opened the fridge and started taking out salad ingredients.

"So about my sister…" Prim said from the living room.

Peeta felt his face flush. "What about her?"

"You want to take her out? 'Cause you should totes take her out." The bluetooth speaker booted up and Prim started the audiobook. "Or you could fuck her. She's in need of a good lay."

"You're such a loving sister." He said, trying to avoid any commitment to the conversation.

"I know." She moved into the kitchen. "But she's been devoted to me for the last three years. She worked a split shift with Rory so that one of them would always be with me. Whenever she wasn't working or helping me, she was sleeping. Gale made her go out her last birthday, but it was the first time she was convinced to do that since the accident."

"So you want me to ask your sister out?" Peeta asked. "Even though she's basically my boss."

"I'm your boss. Katniss just helps me handle my finances." Prim poked him in the side. "So? You going to do it?"

"I'll think about it?" He sat a large salad bowl on the table. "I brought some fresh bread, by the way." Pulling a wrapped package from his bag, he continued. "I forgot about it at breakfast. Do you like buttered bread?"

"Sure. I didn't know you baked." Prim eyed the bread as he cut into it.

"Didn't I tell you my dad had a bakery?" He spread some butter on a slice of bread and handed it to Prim.

"You might have mentioned it." She took a tentative bite. "Oh my god, it's still warm!"

Peeta smiled and sat down with plates to dish out salad for both of them. "I wrapped it in the foil when it was cool enough to handle."

"I have an idea!" Prim said as she picked up her fork. "You should invite Katniss to your place and cook for her."

"I don't think that will work. Even though you're my client, Katniss is still part of the arrangement. It's a conflict of interest." Peeta paused and listened to the audiobook for a few minutes. The poem currently being read was something about the weight of your responsibilities. He could see the look on Prim's face turn to contrition.

She picked up her iPod and something else started. "I don't like that one. Makes me think about Katniss."

"Why, may I ask?" He asked.

"Because she survived with a little harm, our parents died, and I'm paralyzed. She feels responsible for all of it, even though Dad was the one driving. She had to take care of me. She had to quit her last year of school for me."

"None of that was her fault." He said. "It was a drunk driver, wasn't it?"

She nodded. "Yeah. But try telling her that." She turned off the book and moved away from the table. "I want to lay down for a while." She moved off toward her bedroom and he followed to help her move from her chair.

Peeta spent the rest of the afternoon tidying up. Prim stayed in bed all day. She listened to the book on her headphones and started typing out her review with speech software.

Katniss came in just as Peeta took out a pound of hamburger to start making tacos.

"Where's Prim?" She asked as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Having a bit of a lazy afternoon." He commented. He put the meat in a frying pan and broke it up with a wooden spoon. "So I've been thinking about your question all week and I want to say yes."

"That's great! Thank you! Have you told Prim?" She started gathering the other ingredients to help him cook.

He nodded. "We talked about it after you left. She said she feels comfortable with it."

She squeezed his bicep. "Thank you!"

He held up his hand. "Remember, it's only until I get my RN."

"I know." She slowly removed her hand from his arm and dropped it. "Are you ever going to stay and eat the fruit of your labors?"

He chuckled. "Not tonight." He stirred the meat in the pan and said, "But I would like to share a meal with you sometime." He looked up slowly. "My place? Saturday?"

She chewed her lip a moment and then nodded. "Sure. Give Rory and Prim the house to themselves for a bit."

"Yeah." Peeta went back to the meal. "What do you like? I can make anything?"

"Well, I like anything. Surprise me." With one more look over her shoulder, Katniss made her way to Prim's room.

* * *

"Does this shirt look okay?" Katniss asked, walking into the living room. "It feels a little tight."

"If it feels tight, you shouldn't wear it." Rory said from the couch.

Katniss walked around and struck a pose so Prim could see from her spot lying on Rory's lap. "Prim? Thoughts?"

"It looks good." Prim told her. "But Rory's right, if you aren't comfortable, you should find something else."

Katniss sighed. "Nothing feels right. Or looks right. All I wear are t-shirts." She looked down at the faded black shirt. "Maybe that green polo."

"Yes! That one!" Prim exclaimed. "That one looks really good on you."

"Okay." Katniss went back to her room and changed, returning to the living room to model the new shirt. "Better?"

"Yes." Rory and Prim said at the same time.

The doorbell rang.

"Probably the pizza." Rory said, gently pushing Prim off his lap.

"I'll get the door." Katniss offered.

"And I'll get plates." Rory helped Prim to sit up as Katniss opened the door to the pizza delivery person. "I paid online." He called. "Just sign the slip, Katniss."

She did as instructed and handed over the bit of cash Rory had left by the door for the tip. Once the young woman was gone, Katniss sat the pizza on the coffee table and helped Prim off the couch to sit in front of it. After kissing the top of Prim's head, Katniss bid her farewells to the others and left.

Finding Peeta's place was pretty easy, he actually lived just three blocks away. His house was one side of a duplex. Katniss spotted his car right away and pulled into the driveway behind him. She stared at his front door for several breaths before she got up enough courage to get out. If she trusted him enough to leave him with her sister all day, she could trust him to be alone in his own house for a couple hours.

Peeta answered right away, he must have heard her drive up.

"Hi." She said as she walked through the door. She looked around. It was a tiny space, the living room and kitchen were separated by a table that was set with two plates.

He helped her out of her coat. "I was just about to get the casserole out of the oven. Do you like chicken and rice?"

"I do. My mom used to make it all the time when we were kids." She followed him to the table. "Your place is cute." She observed as she watched him head into the kitchen.

Peeta laughed. "Cute is the perfect way to describe it. There's a bedroom and a bathroom down that tiny hall. And that's the grand tour."

Katniss giggled. "Well, you have it to yourself, so that's one thing."

He nodded. "True. My friend Finnick lived here for a while. He slept on the couch." He placed the pan of chicken and rice in the middle of the table and went back to the kitchen for a pan of corn and a plate of roles. "Do you have a salad dressing preference?"

"I'm fine with whatever you have." She looked over the food. "You sure know a way to a girl's heart."

He chuckled as he came back to the table with three bottles of dressing and a bowl of salad. "I just really like cooking for other people. And when I have the time, I go all out." He made a sweeping motion. "Help yourself."

"I would if there were serving spoons." She said with a grin.

"Oh! Right." He laughed nervously and pulled several serving spoons out of the drawer. "Those are cheese buns. They're stuffed with mozzarella." He stuck the spoons into each of the dishes and then asked, "Do you like sweet tea? Or would you prefer water?"

Piling some salad onto her plate, she smiled up at him, "I would love some sweet tea."

"Coming right up." He poured them each a glass and then sat down, finally filling his plate.

"So can I ask you something?" Katniss asked as she scooped some of the chicken and rice onto her fork.

"Ask away." Peeta said, pouring Italian dressing rather heavy-handedly over his salad.

"Well, first, do you like a little salad with your dressing?"

He laughed and shrugged. "Yeah, actually." He mixed the leaves up and took a bite, smiling as he chewed.

She laughed. "My actual question is what made you want to become a nurse?"

Peeta finished chewing and took a sip from his tea. "My dad got really sick when I was in high school. I spent a lot of time with him in the hospital when I wasn't in school." He pushed his corn around with his fork. "All the nurses were really helpful, but there was this one who thought that she was better because she was so educated and we were just there at her whim. When I experienced that, it made me mad and it made me want to be one of the good ones." He smiled. "Plus, I was strong from wrestling and I could help my dad move from the bed to his chair a lot easier than the nurses and one of them commented that I would make a great nurse."

Katniss smiled. "That's great."

He nodded. "You're going to school for what?"

"Originally, I went for business. But after the accident…" She chewed her lip a minute and said, "I decided I wanted to be a physical therapist, which added a couple years onto the other side since I needed all these science courses to qualify for the program. But the good news is, I get to be one of those smart cookies with a double degree. I only had three business classes left to finish up that one, so I went ahead and took them."

"Oh, awesome. So then you get to take the exam and find a PT course?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yep."

He smiled. "Masters or doctorate?"

"Masters. I never saw myself as Dr. Everdeen, that was my mom." She chuckled. But her face quickly fell. "Prim was going to follow in her shoes."

Peeta reached over and placed a hand on top of Katniss's. "She's told me… None of this has ever been your fault."

"I know. I do. I just feel the injustice. I'm fine. I had a couple minor broken bones, but Prim…" She never could form a coherent sentence when she thought about it.

He squeezed. "You couldn't have changed any of it. Your parents couldn't have. Prim couldn't have." He tried to move away, but she grabbed his hand back.

"I tried to tell her she could still have a medical career, but she doesn't want it. She said she's already a financial burden." She felt the pressure releasing in her chest. All this had been bottled up for so long. "I want her to lead the life she always dreamed of."

"She seems content." He squeezed her hand again. "And if she ever wants to go to school, she can. But dreams change. It happens all the time."

Katniss nodded and pulled her hand from Peeta's. She went back to the food. "You really are a good cook."

"Thank you." He watched her for several seconds, making her a little uncomfortable.

"Prim told me you were a little unsure about asking me to dinner because of the nature of your work with her."

He smirked. "Well, I see your sister naked quite a bit."

Katniss laughed. "That's not really what I was getting at, but it's true."

Peeta smiled. "She's my client. You're just the sister of my client."

"I'm the one that writes the checks." She pointed out.

"Well, you could give that duty to Prim or Rory. Clean your hands of that task. Then you and I could go on another date without it feeling weird."

She smiled. "I guess we could figure that out." She sat her fork down and grabbed his arm, pulling him toward her. "And I'm glad you called this a date because there's something I've been dying to do since the first day you walked through our door." She pressed her lips to his in a quick kiss.

Peeta smiled and grabbed her face to kiss Katniss more fully, standing as he did so. "You want to see my bedroom?" He asked against her lips.

"Yeah." She took his hand and he led her to his room.

He pulled her close and kissed her thoroughly, his hand slipping up under the hem of her shirt. She kicked off her shoes as she stepped back.

"When I told my sister I was going to have dinner with you, she said she hoped I did more than eat food." Katniss reached into her pocket and produced a condom. "And Rory slipped this into my hand."

Peeta laughed and pulled her close once more, wrapping his hand around the square package and her hand. "My friend Finnick has been trying to get me laid for months." He walked her backward toward the bed.

She tangled her fingers in his hair. "Well, I guess they knew something we didn't." She pulled him in for a kiss as he guided her down on the bed.

As he touched her, she felt her heart swell at the tenderness in it. His kiss was hungry, but tentative. He kept breaking it to look down at her. She nodded every time.

"You can tell me to stop." He whispered as he tugged at her shirt.

She sat up and held her arms up for him to pull the garment over her head. "Don't stop."

With a nod, he pressed her back down on the bed, trailing his lips over her bare skin. Everywhere his lips touch ignited a fire. She tangled her fingers in his hair once more. His fingers played at the band of her bra. A whine escaped her.

He looked up with an anxious grin. "Can I take this off?"

"Please." She felt her face head up at the way was begging for him. Her body was hot and there was a throbbing between her thighs. She pressed her hips up and wrapped her legs around his waist.

He chuckled. "Maybe the bra can wait." Peeta's lips found Katniss's as his fingers slid down between them to unbutton her jeans. He twisted her hips, pulling at her pants and underwear as he dropped to his knees beside the bed.

Katniss felt a little bit of panic as Peeta's lips pressed against her knee and slowly moved higher up her thigh. "Oh, you don't have to do that."

Pressing her knees apart, he nodded. "I want to. If you want me to."

"I've never…" She combed her fingers through his hair. "No one's ever actually wanted to."

"I do. Will you let me?" His eyes and smile were so gentle that she just couldn't say no, even if she wanted to. And she definitely didn't want to.

"Yes." She whispered. "Yes, please."

When his mouth made contact, she fell back on the bed. Her hands were still tangled in his hair as his mouth worked over her sensitive flesh. She felt the pressure building and she let out a low moan. She didn't want it to end because it felt so good, but she couldn't stop it.

When he pressed his fingers into her entrance, that was the end of it. She stepped over the brink and gasped out what she was sure was supposed to be his name. It was a little incoherent even to her ears.

Katniss collapsed back on the bed, panting. She registered somewhere in the back of her mind that Peeta moved away, but he rubbed her calf slowly.

"I think I'm back to normal." She mumbled after a moment.

He laughed and kissed her knee. "Good. Such a shame no one ever did that for you before. You're just so delicious."

She giggled, covering her face with her hands. After a few seconds, she pushed herself up on her elbows. "Okay, get up here and let me return the favor."

"And how would you like to do that?" He asked as he pulled his shirt over his head.

She grinned and picked up the condom from his bedside table. "This has your name written all over it."

He chuckled and stretched out over her. "I'm so glad I invited you over."

"And I'm so glad I came." She snorted. "And then came."

He laughed just before he kissed her. "My turn."

She nodded, their noses rubbing against each other. "Do whatever you want. Within reason."

"I just…" He kissed her softly. He whispered, "I want to remember this for the rest of my life."

"I'll make it a night you can't forget." She rolled him underneath her. "I promise." She trailed her hands down his chest. "Of course I could just get it over with this first time." She pressed her hips down against the bulge in his pants. "This can't be comfortable."

"I wouldn't mind that at all, actually." He fumbled with the buttons on his jeans, but she gently pushed his hands away.

"I got this." She moved down as she pulled down his pants, releasing his erection.

He sighed and stroked himself. "I can't wait much longer."

She laughed and rolled on the condom. "You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure." He grabbed her hips and gave her a roguish smile. "Don't make me do this on my own."

"I don't want to do that since I'm right here." She lowered herself over him.

His hands roamed over her body and she relished the feel. They were soft and gentle and she felt treasured for once.

Peeta came with a primal growl, his fingers digging into Katniss's thighs.

She leaned down and kissed him softly. "You good?"

He nodded. "I think so."

"Good." She collapsed beside him. "I definitely can't be the one to sign the checks anymore."

He laughed and pulled her close. "Probably would be best."

She melted into his embrace and lay there quietly, sure he was asleep.

But he spoke, startling her. "By the way, I made dessert. If you're interested."

"I could be interested." She fought back a yawn.

"After a nap?" He suggested.

"I need to text Prim." But she already felt her eyes drooping.

"After a nap." Peeta repeated, his voice slow and soft.

It was the last thing Katniss heard before she gave into sleep.


	2. Happy Accidents

_Author's note: The second round of the tropes challenge was domesticity and I chose the suggested prompt of accidental marriage._ _I was really intrigued by the concept. And spurred on by the songs Last Name by Carrie Underwood and Waking Up In Vegas by Katy Perry, this was almost too easy for me to pick.  
_

 _Thanks again to writingbutunpublished for helping me get this whipped into shape._

 _And thank you for everyone that voted this one up, getting me through the third round._

 _Happy reading!_

Happy Accidents

The brunette slid into the chair beside Peeta. She was dressed in a tight forest green dress. She gave him a long, calculating look. "Seafoam green tie and cummerbund. You were one of the groomsmen."

Peeta flicked his finger at his tie. "Guilty."

She chuckled and held out her hand. "Katniss."

He slipped his hand into hers and shook it quickly. "Peeta." He indicated the bartender. "Buy you a drink?"

Katniss grinned. "Sure. A shot of whiskey."

Peeta gave her an appreciative nod and tuned. "Make it two."

The bartender poured them each a glass, they clinked, and threw the drinks back in unison.

Katniss slammed her shot glass down on the bar. "Keep 'em coming."

It was Peeta's turn to give her a calculated look. "Weddings not your thing?"

She threw back her second shot and shook her head, probably only partly because of the question. "I hate weddings. But Annie and I go way back, so I didn't want to be rude."

He downed his second shot just before the bartender came back to fill their shot glasses a third time. He probably shouldn't be taking so many shots since he was already down two glasses of wine from the toasts. Or maybe it was three? He did have a little water with dinner, but that wasn't enough to help him out with the three shots on top of two, or three, glasses of wine.

Katniss waved the bartender over for their fourth shot and Peeta shook his head. He was getting warm and all he could focus on was Katniss's mouth as she said something he couldn't quite make out.

 _Make out_ , he thought to himself.

That's when he leaned forward and kissed her.

Katniss smiled as he pulled away.

Peeta laughed nervously and took the fourth shot. Or was it the fifth? It was definitely more than he'd had since college. He thought about that time at a college party where he drank half a bottle of cheap whiskey all by himself and moved on to vodka. Just one vodka and coke had thrown him over that night.

He wasn't sure who suggested it first. It was just a joke. But both of them were too far gone to differentiate between a joke and reality.

They stumbled into the nearest chapel, said the vows, and then, somehow, made it back to Peeta's hotel room.

* * *

Katniss squinted. The sun was too bright and her head was pounding. She rolled over and was met with a broad chest. A _bare_ broad chest.

Quickly, she touched her own torso to discover that she was thankfully still wearing her dress. Or maybe not. Her foggy mind quickly reminded her that that didn't mean anything and she felt down lower, but her skirt was still pulled down to her knees, underpants still intact. _Good._ There were some things she didn't want to not remember and sex with a handsome man was one of them.

"Someone turn off the sun." The man mumbled, rolling away.

Her eyes were now staring at his broad, muscular shoulders. Something swam in the corners of her mind. "Your name is a kind of bread."

"My name is an alternate form of the name Peter." He snapped.

"Bread boy." She smiled.

"Peeta." He rolled over slowly and looked at her for a long time. He asked, "Did we get married last night?"

Katniss blinked a few times and took several long, slow seconds to raise her left hand. There, glinting on her third finger was a plain gold band.

Peeta waved his matching band. "Well, that had to set one of us back a pretty penny."

"I can't remember." Her eyes were starting to get used to the brightness, but it would still be great if the shades were pulled. She rolled out of bed and went about the task, feeling Peeta's eyes on her every movement.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. "I'm sure we can find someone to divorce us."

"We don't have to do it right away." She turned. "Unless you have a girlfriend back home."

He shook his head and patted the mattress beside him. "How about I order room service and we can talk?"

Sliding into the space, she nodded. "Sure."

She listened in as Peeta ordered two greasy plates of food, a carafe of coffee, and some fresh fruit. Once the phone was back on its cradle, he turned and gave Katniss a once-over. "You're still fully dressed?"

"I am." She agreed. "So…"

He nodded and rubbed his eyes. "I seem to remember… We drank a lot and danced a little."

"Then we drank a little more and joked about being married." Katniss filled in.

"I don't remember details. But you laughed a lot."

"So did you." She slowly slipped her hand into Peeta's. "Where do you live?"

"Maryland." He said. "Baltimore."

"No way! I live in Glen Burnie. What do you do there?" She laughed. "Did we talk about this last night?"

"We might have." He laughed. It was rich and fun. She hoped a guy with that sort of laugh and who would agree to drunkenly marry a girl he just met was just as fun as his laugh. "I run a bakery. Cakes mostly, but cookies and cupcakes, too." He looked at her a minute. "Are you a nurse or doctor?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Vet. Close, though. Medical field of sorts."

Sober, but hungover, they got reacquainted over breakfast and decided that it would be interesting to make a go of their marriage. Why not? They could keep living and working in their own homes and seeing each other often, really getting to know each other and giving it a year before deciding to call it quits.

* * *

Three weeks late. Katniss counted through the dates nearly a dozen times before she realized what was wrong. It had been a crazy few weeks with Katniss making the move from Glen Burnie to Baltimore to finally live with Peeta. There was so much to do. So many other things to think about.

Counting her days took a back seat to everything else. And now her period was three weeks late. She needed to get a test.

She didn't say anything to Peeta as she gathered her things by the door. "I realized that I need a new toothbrush. I'll be back in a couple minutes."

He stood and picked up his keys from the door. "I need some stuff too. Let me drive."

She opened her mouth to protest, but he stepped out the door before her and pressed the button to unlock his car doors.

It was an agonizing walk through the aisles of the drugstore. Peeta needed more than a few things. And she was about to crawl out of her skin trying to think of how to sneak a pregnancy test onto the counter.

She needed to know, but she wasn't sure how she felt about the prospect. They'd been married for nearly a year, but they'd just been dating for most of that time. They hadn't yet gotten to the babies conversation.

She groaned and Peeta looked over. "What?" He asked.

Katniss shook her head and chewed her lip. He continued on and she groaned again, this time grabbing his arm to stop his movements.

"I need a pregnancy test." She blurted.

His mouth opened and shut several times, making him look a little like a fish. Finally, he said, "Are you sure?"

She swallowed. "I'm three weeks late."

"Three weeks?" His voice went up three octaves.

Katniss quickly shushed him, looking around uncomfortably. The last thing she wanted was to have everyone watching their drama unfold.

But instead of getting mad or acting like he was worried, Peeta dropped the basket he held and gathered Katniss close, crushing his mouth against hers in an enthusiastic kiss.

He broke it. "Let's get five." He scooped up the basket and hurried down the aisle, Katniss following quickly after him.

By the time she caught up with him, he was dumping several home pregnancy tests into the basket.

With exaggerated patience, Katniss said, "Peeta, my darling, we won't need that many."

"These things could be defective. No telling how long they've been here." Peeta checked out a label. "This one looks like it doesn't have any confusion about results."

Katniss started placing the boxes back on the shelf. "We'll get two of that kind. If they're both positive, I'll set up an appointment. If they're different, I'll still set up an appointment."

"And what if they're both negative?" There was a catch in his voice.

"Then we can try again. Do something on purpose for once." She took the basket from him and headed toward the register.

* * *

Katniss wouldn't allow Peeta inside the bathroom while she took the tests. He understood, knowing that he wouldn't want someone hovering over him while he peed on a stick either.

He heard the toilet flush and the door opened.

"Set your timer?" She asked, walking back in and sitting on the closed lid of the toilet. Her knees bounced anxiously and she chewed on her thumbnail.

He set the clock on his phone for the required time and sat it on the counter beside the two sticks. Sitting on the side of the tub opposite his wife, Peeta took Katniss's hands in his and squeezed gently.

He didn't speak, but he was bursting to say something. He could tell she would just as soon stay quiet, so he did the same.

Katniss sniffed and took some toilet paper to blow her nose. Peeta rested his hands on her knees. He opened his mouth to say something, but was stopped by the sound of his timer going off. It was almost too loud in the small, quiet room.

Katniss picked up the sticks and looked at them. She blinked a few times, shock all over her face. Then a smile slowly grew and she held them out.

Printed in the tiny window of both tests was the word, "Pregnant."

"How precise are these?" Peeta asked, still so astonished. So many thoughts ran through his mind.

"Supposed to be pretty accurate. I'll get an appointment as soon as possible to double check." She cupped his cheeks. "Do we want to get our hopes up? It could be the hormones from my birth control implant. I'm going to have to get that removed. And probably use something else afterward if I am pregnant."

He smiled and cut off her rambling with a kiss. "We'll wait for a doctor to confirm." He kissed her softly again. "If you really are, then I'd like it to be our little secret until Christmas. I'll bake a special cake and we can celebrate right."

She smiled and kissed him again. "I'm so glad I married you."

"Drunkenly. In a ceremony neither of us remember." He pointed out. One of them usually did.

As Katniss pulled Peeta into the bedroom they would share the rest of their life, he blessed the series of happy accidents that had brought them to this moment.


	3. It Starts with a Toasting

_Author's note: My final entry into the tropes challenge. This round was missing scenes. I chose the toasting. (The following is from my note on the entry over on The Everlark Games page) I know several people have written the toasting, but I have long wanted to try my hand at it. Thank you all so much for reading. And thank you to F Yeah Everlark for organizing this blog and these Games. It's been a blast! Best of luck to the competition! This story contains the quote by Julia Child, "You are the butter to my bread, and the breath to my life."_

 _I took a bit of a chance and wrote in first person present tense this round. I was a bit worried when I took it on, but it ended up working out. And I got second place._

 _Congrats to Xerxia for winning the challenge! Go check out her work!_

 _And, finally, I want to say one more thanks to writingbutunpublished for always reading my stuff and helping me get through everything I write.  
_

 _Happy reading!_

It Starts with a Toasting

I pace the floor as I wait. Peeta should have been home from the bakery an hour ago. I remember that he did say this morning that someone ordered an ornate cake that needed to be finished as soon as possible. Still, he's rarely ever this late.

I'm about to douse the fire and be done with the whole business when the door opens.

Peeta stands there with a large box in his hands. "I brought home cheese buns." He gives me a confused look as he takes in the plates and sticks sitting beside the fire. He looks me over in my white dress.

I carved the sticks myself in preparation for this day. One of the traditions for a toasting was for the man to pick and carve the sticks for both to spear bread to turn over the fire.

With a nervous smile, I take the box from Peeta's hands and pull him down in front of the hearth. I pick up the sticks and hand one to Peeta. "Will you toast with me?"

He smiles, takes the stick from me, and says, barely above a whisper, "I will." He chooses one of the strips of bread and slides it onto the stick I hold. "Will you toast with me?" He asks.

"I will." I can feel the tightening in my throat as I reach over to put bread on his stick.

We both extend our sticks to the flames. Peeta says the first words, "You are the butter to my bread."

"And the breath to my life." I finish.

We turn the bread on our sticks silently for a few more minutes until it is done. I remove mine first and hold it out. "I promise to nourish you in all aspects of life."

Peeta smiles and takes a bite. "I promise to sweeten the bitter moments as much as I am able." He offers me the bread he toasted.

I take a bite. "I cannot promise we won't fight. But I can promise to fight fair."

He takes another bite of the bread I am holding. "I cannot promise every day will be easy. But I can promise to support you through the tough ones."

I take another bite, my heart beating heavily in my chest. There is just one more thing to say and I swallow past the lump in my throat as I whisper, "My heart and my body are yours. Now and forever."

Tears are now falling freely from Peeta's cheeks as he repeats the phrase. In the next instant, I am against him and he is kissing me.

The hunger he brings out in me is insatiable. My hands roam the expanse of his muscular back. His lips flit across my jaw.

We know how to please each other by now. It's been quite a few months since that first time. But still it's all so exciting when his lips brush over my collarbone and his fingers trail over the bit of skin exposed at my thigh when he pushes up my dress.

My heart is now beating so fast that I can't think clearly. All I know is that I just want him to just get it over with already, but at the same time I never want it to end.

"Bedroom?" He asks.

"Bedroom." I agree, pulling him up off the floor.

* * *

It feels like only a short time later when Peeta and I part, but I can see the orange of the sunset through our open window. Hours have passed.

Peeta nuzzles against my hair and whispers, "We had our toasting today. Real or not real?"

"Real." I whisper back. I spread my hand over his chest to feel his heartbeat. "I love you."

He lifts my face up and presses a kiss to my lips. "That's real."

I press my face into his neck and kiss it. We lay in silence for a while longer.

Peeta breaks it. "We should probably consider food soon."

"Just give me those cheese buns and I'll be good to go." I say, feeling the smile spread across my face at the thought of what more will come later in the night.

He laughs and gets out of bed, reaching down to pick up his prosthetic leg from the floor. "I'll be right back with the cheese buns. I'll brew some tea first." He leans over and kisses me once more before leaving the room.

I lay there resting my eyes for a while. I can hear Peeta rummaging around downstairs. He murmurs softly to the cat something I can't hear. Thankfully, Buttercup doesn't venture upstairs. He's fond of Peeta's art studio, though. Seeing him is still painful sometimes.

Peeta walks into the room carrying the box of cheese buns on a tray with the tea things. He carefully pours me a cup of tea and fixes it to my liking as I nibble a cheese bun. He makes his own cup and settles in beside me.

"Can we have the baby talk again?" Peeta asks me softly.

I heave a sigh and lean against the headboard. "I said no. And you know why."

He holds up his hands and says, "Just let me make a deal with you. I won't ask you again for five years. If you decide before that, you can start the conversation. But I won't say another word about it myself before then."

I think about it a long time as I eat the last of my bun. It is a good plan. "How about a bit of a compromise? In five years, we'll try for a baby. Either of us can change our mind at any time."

He considers it a moment before he nods. "Okay."

It isn't long before the tray is placed on the floor and Peeta and I are wrapped in each other again.


End file.
